Trolley-wheel.



J. S. McCABE.

TROLLEY WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED 111111112, 1911.

Patented June 25, 1912.

@Xhtwaooeo Q MW J. S. MUGABE.

TROLLEY WHEEL.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 12, 1911.

Patented June 25, 1912.

MBIA PL/mouuPn co.. W SHINQ'ru'N D c UNITED srxrns PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN s. MQGABE, or BRIDGEVILLE, rENNsYLvA IA, IASSIG-NOR r0 Mo 'roLAIR MANU- FACTURING AND MACHINE COMPANY, or BRIDGEVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

TROLLEY-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedJune 25, 1912.

Application filed June 12, 1911. Serial No. 632,650.

State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolley-WVheels; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use'the same.

This invention relates to electric railways, and moreespecially to the overhead current distribution thereof; and the object of the same is to produce an improved trolley. This object is accomplished by improving ,the structure of the wheel itself, its bearing or bearings, the harp, the lubricating devices, and the means for conveying the cur rent directly from the rim of the wheel past the lubricating devices and the Wearing parts and to or throughout the length of the trolley pole; all-as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and as shown in the drawings wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of this device complete. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the wheel alone. Fig. 4 is an edge view of one of its hub-members. Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively elevation and vertical section onthe line 6-6 of Fig. 5 of one of the contacts and its support. Fig. 7 is an upper edge view of one of said contacts. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section of the hol low axle with its parts slightly separated. Figs. 9 and 10 are respectively edge view and end elevation of one of the cups in which the extremities of said hollow axle are journaled.

Referring to the drawings by number, 1 designates the upper portion of the trolley pole to which is secured a fork 2 whose arms 3 are substantially parallel. and are pierced with alined threaded holes 4 for the reception and adjustment from the outside of the cup-shaped bearings shown in section in Fig. 2 and in detail in Figs. 9 and 10. Each bearing has a cup-shaped body '5 externally threaded as at 6 to engage the threads within the hole 4, an enlarged flange 7 around its outer closed end, which flange is preferably notched on its edge as at 8 so as to be engaged by the tip of a spring detent 9' (see Fig. 1') to hold the bearing after it has been set, and a square or other angular wrench hold 10 on its outer face whereby the bearing may be forcibly inserted andremoved from the fork arm which carries it.

The axle best seen in Figs. 2 and 8, comprises a hollow body 11 closed at one end as at 12 and having its other end internally threaded as at 13, and a closing plug 14 with threads 15- to engage those in the body and having a nick 16 in its head whereby this plug may be removed when the interior of the axle is to be filled with lubricant, which latter flows out a hole 17 to be referred to hereinafter. The extremities of th1s axle, including its integrally closed end and its other end closed by the plug 14, are intended to fit closely but revolubly within the cup-shaped bodies of the bearings above described, and this accounts .for the means I prefer to employ for permitting the fine adjustment of said cup-bearings within the arms of the fork and for holding them after such adjustment. The upper extremities of the arms 3 of the fork may carry oil cups 20 from which ducts 21 lead downward and communicate with the upper sides of the threaded holes 4:; and through the threads of each cup-bearing is formed a slot 22 as best seen in Fig. 10, which slot is located in such position that as the bearing is screwed up until its flange 7 comes into close contact with the outer face of the arm 3, the slot 22 will register with the duct 21 and oil may pass from the cup 20 down into the interior of the cup-bearing so as to lubricate the extremity of the axle described above. lVith both ends of the axle nicely fitted in the bearings and independently lubricated in this manner, it will be possible to adjust the bearings very finely within the arms of the fork, and the detents 9 will hold them after they have been adjusted.

The trolley' wheel proper includes an outer rim and an inner concentricrim 31 connected by spokes 32 and preferably all formed in one piece, and a hub made in two parts which are of like construction and hence a description of one will sutlioe for both. Reference is made to Fig. 4 for a detail of one such part. This member includes a sleeve 33 whose bore is intended to closely fit the axle and whose exterior is threaded at its inner end as at 341 to engage threads within the inner rim31 as best seen in Fig. 2; a-flange 35 next outside and of somewhat larger diameter than said sleeve; and a wrench-hold 36 next outside the flange, although both the flange and wrench-hold are of course tubular so that the axle may project through the entire hub-member. In assembling the parts of the trolley wheel, these hub members are screwed in from the ends thereof so that their threads 34 take into the threads within the inner rim 31 and their flanges 35 stand beyond opposite ends of said inner rim as best seen in Fig. 2; and by preference the two hub-members are spaced apart a little at their inner ends so as to admit packing or waste 37 in the annular space around the center of the axle, which packing will be saturated by oil flowing out the hole 17 above referred to. Thus it will be seen that the exterior of the axle throughout the central portion of its length and the interior of the two hubs will be lubricated by the oil from within the axle distributed through this packingand thence along inside said hub-members; while the extremities of the axle will be lubricated from the oil cups 20 in the manner above described.

In order to give the manufacturer the greatest latitude as to the metals to be employed for the various parts of this device, in order to permit their adjustment after they are put in place, and in order to avoid any interruption to the current or any heating of the parts by reason of the passage of the current through courses where there is resistance, I make'use of the following details of construction. Secured to the flange 35 of each hub-member are several fingers 40 which bear upon the outer face of the outer rim 30 as best seen in Fig. 2, and thereby the current from the trolley wire W is carried direct through this rim and through the fingers to both hub-members. In Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are best seen wiping contacts whereby the current is taken from the hub-members to the trolley pole. Each comprises a curved or moon-shaped contact plate 41 of sheet metal having cars 42 struck from its body and slotted as at 43, and a sheet metal and somewhat resilient support 44 secured as at 45 within the arm 3 of the fork 2 and having its upper end crimped as at- 46 and 47 the crimps being disposed just a little fart-her apart than are the cars 42 of the contact plate 41. It follows that when the slots 43 in said ears are passed over the upper end of a support 44, the lower crimp 46 stands beneath the lowermost ear 42 and the upper crimp 47 stands above the uppermost ear in the manner best seen in Fig. 6. By this means the contact plate 41 is removably held in upright position by the support 44, and the latter bears the plate gently inward at all times and causes it to makefrictional contact with the outer face of the flange 35 as illustrated in Fig. 1; and hence the current taken from the wire W and passed by the fingers 40 to the hub-members, is taken from the flanges 35 of the latter by this contact and carried to a low point on the fork arm 3, whence it is led down the pole in any suitable way. I consider this detail of construction quite important because a course is provided from the wire' to the pole along which the electrical current can flow without passing through any of the parts which-are lubri cated and without necessarily passing through any of the parts which turn upon each other, the only moving point being where the contact plates 41 slide'upon the outer faces of the flanges 35, and these points being quite remote from all places where the lubricant is used. Still it will be seen from the construction described above that I have provided two means by which lubricant may be applied, and if the oil should run out at one place that in the other will serve, or if different kinds of oils are found to be better adapted to different points they can be so used. I do not limit myself, however, to the use of all thedetails hereinbefore described in one complete machine, as they may be employed to good advantage in other combinations than as above set forth. Nor do I wish to be confined to the precise construction of parts, or to the materials, proportions and exact shapes.

It will be noted that by having the wheel loose on the spindle and the spindle mounted for rotary movement in the bearing caps in the two arms of the fork or harp an important advantage is gained; namely, should the wheel hub become dry and bind to the spindle, the spindle can turn in its bearings or vice versa. Should the ends of the spindle become dry and bind in the bearings therefor, the wheel may turn on the spindle. It will be noted in this connection that the two separate means of lubricating the ends'of the spindle and the hub of the wheel add to the advantageous result gained by this con struction. 7

While I have illustrated and describedthe invention as embodied in a trolley, it will be understood that the invention may be used in pulleys and the like.

I/Vhat is claimed as new is:

1. In a trolley, the combination with the pole and its fork, supports carried by the forkarms, contact plates carried by the sup ports, and the wheel comprising a rim, hubmembers having flanges upon which said plates rest, and connections between the rim and hub members; of fingers secured to said flanges and bearing against the rim, an axle through said members, cup-bearings in' the fork-arms in which the ends of the axle are journaled, and means for lubricatingzsaid bearings.

2. In a trolley, the combination with the pole and its fork, supports carried by the fork-arms, contact plates carried by the supports, and the wheel comprising a rim, hubmembers having flanges upon which said plates rest, and screw-connections between the rim and hub-members; of fingers secured to said flanges and bearing against the rim, an axle journale'd through said members, means for lubricating its exterior, and supports in the fork-arms for the extremities of the axle.

3. In a trolley, the combination with the pole and its fork, supports carried at their lower ends by the fork-arms, contact plates carried by the upper ends of the supports, and an axle carried. by the fork-arms out of contact with said plates; of the Wheel comprising outer and inner rims connected by spokes, the inner rim being internally threaded, two hub-members each having an externally threaded sleeve to engage the inner rim and a radial flange upon which rests one of said contact plates, the sleeves being mounted on said axle, and fingers making electrical connection between said flanges and the outer rim.

4:. In a trolley, the combination with the pole and its fork, a tubular axle carried by the latter and having a radial oil-hole, and a contact plate carried by one of the forkarms; of the wheel comprising a rim, two hub-members having sleeves journaled upon said axle and separated at their inner ends so as to stand astride said oil-hole, and flanges on said sleeves upon one of which said contact rests, and electrical connections between this flange and the rim.

5. I11 a trolley, the combination with the pole and its fork, an axle mounted in the latter, and a wheel carried by the axle and having a flange on its hub; of a curved contact plate resting against said flange and having two upbent ears provided with slots, and a spring support secured at its lower end within said fork and having its upper end provided with crimps adapted to removably engage said ears when the support passes through the slots in them. 4

6. In a trolley, the combination with the pole and its fork, supports carried by the fork-arms, contact plates carried by the supports, and a hollow oil-containing axle carried by the fork-arms out of contact with said plates and having a radial perforation at its center; of the wheel comprising outer and inner rims with one of which said plates contact, the inner rim being internally threaded, spokes connecting said rims, two hub members journaled on said axle at opposite sides of its perforation and each having an externally threaded sleeve to engage the inner rim, and fingers making electrical connection between said hub and the outer rim.

7. In a trolley, the combination with the pole and its fork, the arms of the latter having bearings, a hollow oil-containing axle whose extremities are journaled in said bearings and whose body has a radial perforation at its center, supports carried by the fork-arms, and contact plates carried by said support-s; of the Wheel comprising a rim and hub members connected therewith, the latter being journaled on said axle at opposite sides of its perforation, packing between the inner ends of the hub members over said perforation, said contact plates making electrical contact with said rim, and independent electrical connections between the rim and the hub members.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN S. MCCABE.

Witnesses:

M. A. WOOD, E. M. FOWLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

